Casa Lotus

Terms & Conditions for Holiday Villa Rental Bookings

1) Reservation process:

1.1) Booking is confirmed upon receiving 25 % of the total amount to our designated client bank account. It is important to pay this within 48 hours after having received our reservation confirmation, otherwise, your chosen property will be made available again to other holidaymakers during the specified dates.

1.2) The balance payment of 75 % of the total amount to our designated client bank account, should be paid 63 days before the arrival date. Failure to pay the balance payment as per each property payment conditions may result in the loss of your deposit payment and we will make the property available again for other holidaymakers for a reduced rate.

1.3) In the event of a short notice reservation, if the payment is not received before the client is due at the villa, we will withhold the property keys until the payment is received.

1.4) Payments made from non-EU accounts may incur bank fees which are deducted on our side (from the amount we receive) and for that reason must be covered by the client.

2) Maximum allowance of people staying at any property:

2 Persons per bedroom is the maximum allowance of people staying at the property unless otherwise agreed. Should more than the maximum allowance of guests stay at the property at any time, we have the right to request the removal of the additional person(s) and will charge additional fees for the extra person. Unless previously explicitly otherwise agreed, we do not accept groups of young people under the age of 25 years, Stag and Hen parties, Weddings, and other events that can cause more than reasonably expected wear and tear to the property.

3) Pets:

If you plan to bring a pet, this has to be requested and authorized in advance. Extra cleaning service will be charged for any pets that are brought to the villa at € 5.000,00 per week per pet and double the amount of the damage deposit will be held.

4) Cancellation terms, refunds and compensations:

Only the lead party may make modifications or request cancellations once your vacation has been booked. Your cancellation date is the date we receive your e-mails on normal working days and hours from Monday – Friday 9 AM to 5:30 PM.

4.1) Our cancellation charges increase as your arrival date approaches:

75% of the total amount for cancellations done prior than 63 days before arrival day

50 % of the total amount for cancellations done prior than 56 – 62 days before arrival day

25 % of the total amount for cancellations done prior than 42 – 55 days before arrival day

5 % of the total amount for cancellations done prior than 15 – 41 days before arrival day

0 % of the total amount for cancellations done prior than 0 – 14 days before arrival day

4.2) The deposit payment for your vacation reservation is non-refundable, however, if you wish to cancel your booking, we will always try to sell your booked dates to other rental clients. If we manage to sell your dates we will be able to refund the full or partial amount back to you.

4.3) In case of a refundable cancellation, we will retain a €150 administration fee.

4.4) You might be able to get your insurance carrier to reimburse you for the cancellation fees if your cancellation is required for a reason allowed by your policy. Claims must be submitted directly to the relevant insurance provider.

4.5) Occasionally, property contents and appliances may not be available or in need of repair. We will try our best to let you know about any “minor changes” (such as property appliances and fixtures) before you arrive but we are not liable to pay you compensation if any of these items are not available to you.

4.6) We will give you prompt notice if we need to make a 'significant change' or cancel your vacation rental. Then, you have the option to: a) accept the modified property; b) accept our offer of an alternative vacation of comparable quality, if one is available; or c) cancel your reservation entirely, in which case we will return all of your money. Note: Should you select a different vacation home and it turns out to be less expensive than the one you had originally reserved, we will reimburse the difference in cost. Should the alternative vacation be more expensive, you will cover the additional cost to upgrade. The changed accommodation will be subject to the original terms of our agreement.

4.7) Any compensation is restricted to property hire costs only and our company is not liable for any cancellation or admin charges for travel arrangements or losses you may incur as a result of change or cancellation.

4.8) The failure of public utilities like water, gas, and electricity, as well as the malfunction of mechanical or electrical equipment like pumps, boilers, swimming pool filtration systems, and air conditioners, are not under our control and, for that reason, we cannot offer compensations.

5) Passport and other details:

The party leader must provide us with the passport details or any other information required by law (such as health certificates or tests due to, for example, pandemic regulations) of every guest staying, such as first name and surname, date of birth, place of birth, nationality, country of residence, city of residence, ID-type of document, ID-document nº, country issued, arrival date and departure date. This information must be provided by us to the Portuguese Government before your arrival day. These details must be provided to us up to 48 hours before arrival. Failure to do so will result in not being able to access the property until such information is provided.

6) Damage Deposit:

6.1) The damage deposit for the amount indicated on your booking form has to be transferred one week before your arrival day. After the property is duly checked and no damages are found this will be fully refunded within 10 working days after departure, if possible. On special occasions, this may take longer. Please provide us with your bank account details (Account holder name, Account holder address, IBAN and Swift Code) at the time of transferring the damage deposit.

6.2) Apart from obvious damages, the replacement costs of towels and linen that have been damaged during your stay will also be deducted from the damage deposit. Damages include makeup stains, stains deriving from sun tanning lotions, etc.

7) Arrival and departure:

7.1) Entry time on the day of arrival is not before 16h unless otherwise agreed, the property must be left at the latest 10h on the day of departure. Early check-ins or late departures may be available upon request, but can always only be confirmed 2 days before arrival or departure.

7.2) Upon arrival, if you find that the property is not in good condition or if you find any damages, please report these immediately so we can check the issue. If you fail to comply with this procedure, we won’t have the opportunity to correct the issue and you take the risk of being responsible for possible damages.

7.3)If the client schedules the delivery or provision of goods or services (such as food deliveries, equipment deliveries, etc.) to be made to the property, these goods or services have to be delivered and picked up while the client is in the property (that is, they have to be delivered after the client checks in and picked up before the client checks out). If we organize this, we will be in charge of arranging for the delivery and pickup of these goods and services.

8) Housekeeping:

8.1) The maid service including change of towels and linen will be provided as per information on the booking form. Please note that whilst we will try and accommodate you as much as possible, we cannot guarantee certain times for the maid service on the days scheduled. The maid service is provided between 9h and 18h and if you send the maids away when they arrive at the property for cleaning, you will lose your right to the maid service for that particular day. Should you wish extra maid service (more than the permitted hours per day as indicated on your booking form), then we can arrange for this at an extra charge of € 20,00 per maid and hour from Monday to Friday, € 30,00 per maid and hour on Saturdays and € 40,00 per maid and hour on public holidays and Sundays.

8.2) The proper disposal of rubbish is the rental client’s responsibility on the days that maid service is not provided at the villa.

8.3) If we find that the property isn’t in good condition (either upon a daily clean or upon an exit clean) and extra maid service (more than the permitted hours per day as indicated on your booking form) is necessary to maintain the good condition of the property, then we will carry out the necessary extra maid service, charge as per above and deducted from the damage deposit payment.

8.4) Additional towel and/or linen changes may not be possible, this will depend on the stock of linen and towels of each property.

8.5) Not every property provides pool towels. If they are provided, they will not be changed during your stay. It is your responsibility to wash them at the villa should you wish to. These pool towels are not to be removed from the property (to the beach for example). For the villas where there are no pool towels provided, or if you wish to take towels to the beach, we can supply pool/beach towels at a weekly rate of € 7,50 per towel. This needs to be requested before your arrival, as stock is limited.

8.6) All properties are self-catering villas, and as a courtesy, we will supply toilet paper, kitchen rolls, toiletries, and a basic welcome pack at arrival, these items will not be replenished during your stay.

9) Garden and pool maintenance:

Garden maintenance is usually carried out once per week and pool maintenance twice a week. These services must continue during the client's stay. The rental client must not send the staff away. We will always try and keep the inconvenience caused by garden and pool maintenance as low as possible.

10) Pool heating:

10.1) If the property has pool heating and you have paid for this before your arrival, please note that we cannot guarantee a certain temperature. In general, all fitted pool heaters are according to the size of the pool. Weather conditions, such as cold temperatures at night, rains, and strong winds can however diminish the normally achievable temperature. For health & safety reasons the pool water should never be warmer than 28 degrees.

10.2) If the property has pool heating and you have paid for this before your arrival, and the pool heating should become defective then we will refund you the paid amount for the pool heating for the days the pool heating has not been working. We do not accept any claims for compensation payment if the pool heating is not working for reasons out of our control.

10.3) If you decide to have the pool heating switched off during your stay, we will refund the amount for the pool heating from the day it has been switched off.

11) Property descriptions:

All properties are individually owned and are furnished and equipped as per the property owners’ requirements and comply fully with the health and safety regulations as per Portuguese law. Although every care has been taken to make sure photographs and descriptions are kept updated on our website and other advertising sites, the information provided is only a guideline; the properties are subject to changes, updates, and improvements. The property advertisement does not constitute property particulars.

12) Building works:

Usually, the local municipality will restrict or not allow building works during the summer months of July and August in tourist resorts; however, this is a yearly process and the municipality can or cannot put these building restrictions in place.

12.1) The law does not require resort management or neighbors to notify one another of construction projects or noise that is occurring next to or near any property. As such, we disclaim all liability for any ensuing disruption. We have no control over any construction that may start in the neighborhood, including noise from road, building, and landscaping projects. Legally, construction projects may be carried out in working days from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Certain construction projects may also be carried out for longer periods, on Sundays and bank holidays, and with additional permission.

12.2) However, we will notify you as soon as we become aware of any construction work that could be reasonably deemed to negatively impact your vacation experience. If possible, we will also provide you with the option to transfer to another available property at the advertised published price.

13) Valuables & Security

13.1.) You are responsible for any valuables you leave in the property. We recommend using the safe if one is available and setting the alarm if installed at the villa. Precautions must be made to prevent theft and break-ins. When you leave the property or are on the grounds/by the pool, it is your responsibility to make sure all doors and windows are shut and secured. If you are negligent and cause theft or damage to the property, we have the right to retain your damage deposit to make good any damages to the property that are a result of the theft or break-in.

13.2.) We disclaim any liability for any loss of your personal items. We recommend travel insurance for your valuable items.

14) Children’s Safety:

The children’s safety is always the responsibility of the parents, not only inside the house but also at the poolside. The installation of stair gates and other safety equipment is not always possible and requires previous confirmation and under no circumstances are you allowed to install anything at the villa without prior agreement by us.

15) Smoking:

Smoking is not allowed inside any of the properties. Should smoking occur in our properties, an additional cleaning fee will be applied.

16) Noise regulation:

According to the General Noise Regulation, established by Decree-Law 9/2007, guests must respect the official quiet times which are 11:00 pm to 7:00 am.

17) Access to properties:

We have the right to access a rental property to carry out repairs, maintenance, and property inspections during your stay.

18) Medical conditions:

Before we confirm your booking, please supply us with all the information on any health and mental health issues, medical conditions, or disabilities you or any member of your party may have that could affect your visit. This way, we can try to advise you on the suitability of the arrangements you have chosen. In an effort to be fair, we will either not confirm your reservation if we are unable to suit the needs of the person or people in question, or we will cancel it and charge you the appropriate cancellation fees as soon as we learn of the data you withheld at the time of booking. Due to your failure to disclose the medical condition at the time of booking, we cannot accept obligation if the medical issue surfaces during your stay.

19) Travel insurance:

Having travel insurance is essential. The policy ought to be in effect as soon as your reservation is confirmed. In addition to multi-risk, medical, and repatriation coverage, your insurance should include cancellation protection. We strongly advise that any insurance that is purchased include a 24-hour emergency phone service. We will not be responsible for any losses that may result from your decision to travel without sufficient insurance coverage, regardless of the reason for your decision.

20) Disclaimer:

We and the owner of the rental properties do not accept any responsibility for loss of personal items at the villa, theft of personal items from the villa, injury, loss of life, illness, loss or damage of luggage arising from the design or structure of the villa, and, but not only, golf balls hitting the property premises. Information about all safety matters is provided in the information booklet, available at each property.

21) Complaints:

Any complaints about the property and its contents must be made immediately at the property by you either via phone call or e-mail or in person to our representative in order for us to be able to rectify the problem. You must allow immediate access to this. Any complaints not communicated immediately and during your stay will not be accepted after departure. All complaints must be followed up in writing within one week after departure.

22) Force of Majeure:

The company cannot be held responsible and will not accept liability when it is prevented from delivering its contractual obligations by 'force majeure'. These include, but are not limited to, war, threat of war, civil commotion or strife, hostilities, strikes and other industrial disputes, natural disasters, fire, acts of God, terrorist activities, technical difficulties with transportation, closure of ports or cancellation of ferries, quarantine, epidemics, weather conditions, government action or other events outside of the company's control. Your travel insurance will cover you in some of these events. The company cannot be held liable for non-occupation of accommodation due to your failure to reach the property however caused.

23) Law:

These terms and conditions are in accordance with the Portuguese law. For the resolution of any dispute arising from the interpretation and performance or gap-filling of this agreement, the competent jurisdiction will be that of the Faro District Court, with the express waiver of any other.

Addendum:

COVID-19 and/or other pandemic outbreak-related conditions:

If a customer wishes to cancel the booking, based on official government advice that advises against travel to Portugal, but we are still able to provide the Services as promised, then there is no legal obligation to refund such Customer.

To provide customers with clear terms, especially around COVID-19 and/or other pandemic outbreak-related conditions, we require that at the point of customers paying their balance (9 weeks before travel), when clients are unable to travel due to FCO restrictions preventing travel from the UK to Portugal (including National lockdown measures restricting all travel from the UK, order closures and FCO advise against all non-essential travel from the UK), we will offer the option to change the dates of bookings, subjected to owners approval, availability and price increase, without losing the payments already made. This excludes ‘disclination to travel’, such as not wanting to travel, flight cancellations, mandatory vaccination, or mandatory quarantine/testing on return to the UK. As above ‘Disclination to travel’ will result in the standard cancellation terms being applied, meaning a forfeit of a customer’s deposit unless instructed differently by us.

Where a balance has been paid and FCO restrictions come into place closer to a client arrival date (within 9 weeks of arrival), preventing them from traveling from the UK to Portugal, then this will be dealt with on an individual basis and discussed with all party’s involved (you, the client, us and the property owner).

The Clients shall purchase the necessary travel insurance (including coverage for COVID-19 and/or other pandemic outbreaks-related conditions) for the time prior to travel to Portugal, during their time in Portugal, and returning from Portugal. We are not responsible for arranging accommodation for the clients in case they cannot go back to their country of origin due to COVID-19 and/or other pandemic outbreak-related issues (or any other issues) implemented in their country of origin or at enroute destinations.